Can Chelsea go back to back?

Photo: Ramadel Falcao switched from Manchester United to Chelsea and will be hoping for better fortunes in the Chelsea Blue. (Getty Images)

The Barclay Premier League 2015/16 season kicks off today and fans are anticipating a spectacle. Each year it gets harder to pick a winner or to pick where your favorite team will finish, but looking at the biggest teams in the league, you can’t help but expect a Chelsea-Arsenal title race. Manchester United is expected to be breathing down their necks and either Manchester City or Liverpool narrowly miss out on UEFA Champions League qualification.

The season appears to come a little too soon but ready or not the first ball of the new season will roll off at Old Trafford between last season 4th place Manchester United and 5th place Tottenham Hotspurs starting at 6:40 am local time.

Opening day battle

Among the top five finishers last season only three of them will be featured on the opening day, this includes the defending champions Chelsea. Chelsea’s loss in the Community Shield, followed by defeat to Fiorentina sums up an average pre-season campaign. Though they weren’t that active during the transfer window they have depth and quality. They have surprisingly acquired the services of Ramadel Falcao who slammed three past his now employer a couple seasons ago. He is expected to fill in for the injured Diego Costa and form a formidable partnership when he is fit. Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao both played a half each in the Community Shield against Arsenal and are vying to start if Costa is not available.

Despite the gap between Swansea and Chelsea, Gary Monk’s team is hoping they can pull off another surprise as they did against Manchester United at Old Trafford last season, beating them 2-1 on opening day. Swansea too did some summer shopping, signing Andre Ayew who is likely to make his debut but fellow newcomers Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Franck Tabanou and Eder are expected to be among the substitutes.

If history is anything to go by, Chelsea should run away winners by about four clear goals. Chelsea has never lost an opening game under Jose Mourinho, the last time they lost an opener was 1998/1999 season.

Since the inception of the Barclay Premier League no defending champion has lost an opening game and the Chelsea supporters doesn’t expect this to change. Chelsea put nine goals past the Swans last season and the only league win at Stamford Bridge for the Welsh team came in 1925.

Swansea have won two of their last three opening-day fixtures, having lost the previous six and they were unbeaten during pre-season, which ended with a 0-0 draw against Deportivo La Coruna.

Coaches corner

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: “The real football starts tomorrow (today), I think everybody’s waiting for it.
“Let’s try to be a good team and be here in March or April speaking about winning something. I believe the teams who aren’t title contenders will be stronger, the gap between the top and others will be shorter.”

Swansea City manager Garry Monk: “We conceded nine against them (Chelsea) last year, which wasn’t good enough at all. There weren’t many times I could say I was gutted with a performance but the one at home was one of them.

“But Jose is tactically one of the best managers in the league. He’s very clever in his approach, his team is so adaptable in playing different ways and brilliant to watch.

“They’ve set the standard for everyone and when I come up against Jose I know I’m in for an interesting season.”